How a Simple Playing Card Became Fashion Week’s Backstage MVP

Backstage at Ryan Roche this morning, amid a sea of sumptuous silks, suedes, and soft hues, models drifted by wearing loose chignon twists emblazoned with a simple bold-faced message: “Imagine.” “There are a lot of people that are feeling a little bit hopeless [with] the state of the world,” said hairstylist James Pecis, who was setting hair in place using individual playing cards printed with the directive. Calling to mind John Lennon’s 1971 universal anthem of peace, it offered an uplifting missive in the midst of a whirlwind morning. “If you’re gonna say something, put it out there—now’s the time,” continued Pecis, who picked up a deck the night before, pre-show, and plans to use them while at work in each of Fashion Week’s four cities this season as a way to keep things “positive.”

He’s not the only one using playing cards, which have long been a pro trick for protecting the hair before showtime when sandwiched between duck clips, to inject a dose of optimism into fashion this season. Spotted in more than a few Instagrams of late, the conveniently sized squares offer a photo-ready canvas for colorful words and images. Just look at a recent image of Adwoa Aboah, whose Little Mermaid-esque red wig got a cheerful upgrade on location thanks to a card printed with bold red, green, and yellow stripes and the word "Jamaica." Hairstylist Rachel Lee followed suit, adorning model Ari Westphal’s signature curls with a painted cantaloupe from a Loteria set. With a month’s worth of shows left to go, here’s hoping for a full deck’s worth of inspiring sightings.